Belgium says 'no actual threat' on stopped bus

Belgian police and passengers stand outside an intercity travel service bus after it was stopped following a report of a conversation of a possible terror attack, at the police station of Wetteren, on January 11, 2024. – Belgian police stopped a coach coming from France on January 11 after a passenger reported a “terrorist” conversation about a possible attack, officials said. The bus, run by the company Flixbus and operating a service between the northern French city of Lille to Brussels, was halted in the town of Wetteren, next to Ghent, a spokeswoman for the East Flanders prosecutors’ office told AFP. (Photo by JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT / BELGIUM OUT

Belgian police have concluded there was “no actual threat” on a bus that was stopped after a passenger thought others onboard were discussing a possible terror attack, authorities said Friday.

The FlixBus coach, going from the northern French city of Lille to Brussels, was halted by police on Thursday after the passenger raised the alarm on hearing what he thought was a conversation about a planned attack.

Three male passengers were briefly detained and questioned, but police determined that “there was no actual threat for safety”, a spokeswoman for the West Flanders prosecutors’ office told AFP.

“So probably the witness may have heard something he misinterpreted… His intentions were obviously good, but there is no evidence that there has been a threat at any time,” she said.

The other passengers, after being checked, were cleared to continue their journey on the bus to Brussels after an hours-long delay.

Authorities praised the quick reaction of the police to the alarm, and did not raise the national terrorism alert status from its current “serious” level.